ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith expounded on viral commentary he made on his radio program regarding questions about President Biden’s ability to execute a potential second term.
Smith joined “Hannity,” where host Sean Hannity pressed him on whether he believes the president to be a “cognitive mess,” as Smith had said on his own show that “we need a new president in 2024.”
Smith refused to agree to the label “cognitive mess” presented by Hannity, though he cited the president’s latest tumble on stage at the Air Force Academy as one incident that raises questions.
“[H]e’s the candidate, number one, that [Democrats] deem capable of beating Donald Trump, which he’s already proven, whether people want to admit that or not,” Smith said.
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“Number two, and more importantly, I’m not going to sit up there and label our president in those derogatory fashions. What I will say is this – I’m not engaging in agism or anything like that.”
“I’m going to tell you as this I’m looking at him and I don’t like what I see… I’m very concerned with what I’ve seen and the fact that he’s going to be 82 years of age at election time,” Smith later added.
When asked about his purported friendship with ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who announced a 2024 bid earlier Tuesday, Smith said he would rather have the Morris County Republican in the White House than see Donald Trump return.
“I understand that [Christie has] got a gladiatorial attitude and he’s ready to combat,” Smith said. “I think that he’s a guy that is not walking around and preaching about ‘rigged elections’ and all of this other stuff. He’s about moving the country forward.”
Smith admitted he believes Christie to be a longshot, especially given Trump’s current polling, but underlined he is one candidate who cannot be “pushed around” by the former president.
Hannity pushed back slightly, pointing to how Christie was photographed lounging on the sand at Island Beach State Park in Ocean County during a Trenton-initiated government shutdown, and how he was embroiled in the George Washington BridgeGate scandal – when he was allegedly involved in lane closures on the world’s busiest bridge as a means to spite Fort Lee Democratic Mayor Mark Sokolich for declining to endorse him.
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The scandal, during which now-FBI Director Christopher Wray served as his attorney, was later attributed to a steady drop in his popularity – and at the time lead to incredible gridlock both in Fort Lee and on the New York side of the river in Fort George.
“First of all, that’s something that I’m supposed to be bringing up. I’m surprised you’re bringing that up about a conservative and a Republican candidate – way to go for you, Sean,” Smith quipped. Hannity disagreed that Christie is a conservative.
“I’m not trying to campaign for Chris Christie or anything. The bottom line is he’s certainly not a liberal,” Smith replied.
“When you look at him and I think that, you know, he’s competent and more importantly, he’s going to be talking about issues as opposed to having us distracted with a whole bunch of nonsense that we don’t need to be distracted with as a country.”
“That’s all I’m saying. Now, whether he wins or not, I know it’s a long shot,” he added.
Smith, who is a registered Independent, said he would vote for a Republican-nominee Christie before any of the current Democratic presidential candidates – which include Biden, author Marianne Williamson, and party scion Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
He added that he would not however necessarily shun the Democratic nominee if the Republicans choose Trump or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
